A Rather Big Week in MS Drug News

Last week held two rather large announcements for those of us living with multiple sclerosis and considering the cost/benefit ratio of disease modifying drugs. One new oral drug was approved by the FDA and another in the final stages of testing announced results.

First, the drug Teriflunomide, marketed as Aubagio was approved by the FDA on Wednesday. In discussions with MS specializing neurologists this weekend, I was told that they expect the drug to be available to patients as soon as the end of next month.

One doc called Aubagio a “mild chemotherapy” type drug and a “cousin” to the drug Leflunomide which is used for rheumatoid arthritis (another condition in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue, like MS). Studies show that this drug is at least as effective as several other MS drugs and has a good safety record. Side-effects listed common by the FDA include; diarrhea, abnormal liver tests, nausea, and hair loss. Also listed as possible adverse reactions are; liver problems, including death, and a risk of birth defects. “

If, according to the FDA warnings, you decide to think about Aubagio, “Physicians should do blood tests to check liver function before a patient starts taking Aubagio and periodically during treatment.”

Also included in the FDA’s warning is an alert noting that, based on animal studies, the drug may cause fetal harm. For this reason, Aubagio is labeled as Pregnancy Category X, which means women of childbearing age must have a negative pregnancy test before starting the drug and use effective birth control during treatment.”

One rumor going around has it that the manufacturers of Aubagio plan to price this drug below many others on the market. It is yet to be seen if this happens and/or if it will have any result on other drugs’ prices or the rate at which insurance companies encourage its use over other MS Meds.

In a topical application for psoriasis this drug has proven safe and effective. Psoriasis is also thought to be a disorder in which the immune system attacks what it’s not supposed to.

If all goes well, an oral application of this drug is expected to be approved for MS treatments early next year.

With all of this news, I wonder if you’ve heard it already? Has your “support network” been sending you e-mails about the news? Will you discuss these new drugs with your medical team at your next visit? In short; how does this news affect you?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Trevis Gleason

Trevis L. Gleason is a food journalist and published author, an award-winning chef and culinary instructor who has taught at institutions such as Cornell University, New England Culinary Institute and...read more